Kid-tested toys: Age 8 and up

Just as every child is different, so too are the toys they enjoy. While one child might be revved up about James Bond, another might be excited about Batman and rockets, crafts, puzzles and sports. To help narrow the search, we enlisted the help of experts: Kids. Check out our list of hot new toys -- either tested or suggested -- for someone on your list. Prices on toys may vary.

Bob It! Smash ($22.99, 8-up) from Hasbro is the newest version of the time-intense game. Gabby, 9, who has played Bob It! Liked this one better as it was more challenging. However, Santa needs to tone it down or add a volume dial. It is very loud.

Monopoly Millionaire ($22.99, 8-up) from Hasbro has all the fun and challenges of the classic Monopoly game but for higher rollers. Dayna and Nikki liked that the properties had new names such as Paradise Island or the Aqua Park Resort and the millionaire cards that gave you expensive things. If you play the game as the directions say, it’s short. They disregarded the directions and played on.

Twister Dance ($24.99, 8-up) from Hasbro allows this generation of Twister fans to rock the spots. Olivia, 10, said the pre-loaded songs were great and popular! It plays five pop songs including one by Britney Spears and Cupid, and can always use a few more. The directions were a little unclear but overall it was fun. Olivia’s mom said it’s a great gift for girls.

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Draw Something Game ($19.99, 8-up) was a big hit with Chrystine, 9. Normally, she is not the best when it comes to drawing things. But she said the game helped her create cool pictures, and made drawing fun and easy. She liked everything about it.

Cityville Monopoly Game ($24.99, 8-up) from Zynga and Hasbro comes with a code to redeem cash for use in Zynga’s CityVille online game. Madyson, 9, liked it better than traditional Monopoly because she was able to build skyscrapers.

The Game of Life Zapped Edition ($24.99, 8-up) from Hasbro combines a traditionally fun game with modern technology as in board game/iPad app. Ali, 7, said it was easy to download, liked the idea of interacting with the iPad and that no wimpy spins were allowed. She said this game is very cool. However, it’s only fun if you have an iPad. Chris, who tested Monopoly Zapped ($24.99, 8-up), suggested they make it so you can use other forms of technology.

Nerf N-Strike Elite Hail-Fire Blaster ($39.99, 8-up) boasts an unprecedented capacity for up to 144 darts, predicted to travel up to a full 75 feet. Those who liked this might also be interested in Nerf N-

Strike Elite Retaliator Blaster ($26.99, 8-up), which has a blaster than can be configured in multiple ways.

STL 12-hole Ocarina ($30.99, 9-up) is a set created by Dennis and Laura Yeh for the musically inclined child or adult. Annie, 9, who loves music said it it’s beautiful, very unique. She was a little worried about breaking it, though, so maybe the less elaborate version would be better for her age group. John, 10, who has played a recorder, preferred its fingering system to that of the 6-hole ocarina he tested but said the ocarina did have a nice tone. Other styles and versions are available online at www.stlocarina.com.

Laser Tag 2 Blaster Battle Packs ($74.99, 9-up) from Hasbro turn the backyard, playground or basement into a Lazer Tag battleground. Each blaster boasts an impressive firing range of up to 250 feet. Jack, 10, said he likes big guns that you can use in the house, especially Nerf guns. One suggestion: add more ammo.

Rukus Solar Boombox ($150, 9-up) from Eton (www.etoncorp.com) is a portable boombox with solar panel and Bluetooth compatibility. Simply pair any Bluetooth-enabled device, from Smartphones to tablets, to begin easily streaming music wirelessly. What’s nice is Rukus not only plays music -- but can be used to charge most devices that use a USB cable. Our tester loved it, the sounds, the size and knowing it comes with an AC adapter for easy charging on rainy days.

Scrabble Electronic Catch Phrase ($19.99, 12-102) from Hasbro is a hot-potato-kind-of game in which teams of players answer a question and pass the device along to the next player before the timer goes off. Dayna and Kyle played the game with their friends and family and, in all cases, found it to be fun. The games are fast but always different because of the variety of categories. Dayna said it would be a good choice for family game night.

Need for Speed: Most Wanted ($59.99, 13-up) is another “Need for Speed” video game by Criterion. Nicholas, 13, who has never played a racing game before, said the graphics were really good and he liked the variety of race cars. The on-screen directions were kind of unclear and it took some practice, but eventually Nicholas figured things out and it became easy to play. Nicholas played it with a friend who also liked the game. Nicholas did, however, think a better multiplayer system would improve the game for users playing at the same time.